Side impact crashes represented, in 2002, 26% of all fatal collisions (second only to frontal crashes) with an estimated total of 782,900 nonfatal and 9812 fatal injuries. Reports from a survey of the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) showed that injuries to the chest occurred in 39.7% of surviving occupants, followed by injuries to the head (25%), the pelvis (11.7%), and the abdomen (8.4%). In a study of the 119 crashes currently entered in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database, 71 (60%) of occupants had pelvic fractures of at least AIS 2 (Abbreviated Injury Score). The mortality rate from motor vehicle induced pelvic injury ranges from 8.6% to 50%, with 25%-35% of survivors having unsatisfactory results after treatment. Compared to patients in motor vehicle crashes without pelvic injury, those with pelvic injury were significantly more injured, had higher blood loss, longer hospital stays, more genitourinary injuries, and higher mortality rates.
LC-I (lateral compression) pelvic fractures, involve structures in direct contact with the incoming door. LC-I fractures are stable, may be treated non-surgically and usually result in little internal disruption. In contrast, LC-III fractures involve not only injury to structures such as the sacrum or iliac wing and pubic ramus on the door side, but also structures on the opposite side. The LC-III fracture is highly unstable, involves rupture of pelvic area blood vessels, has significant associated internal hemorrhage, and damage to internal organs, and must be treated surgically by stabilization of both the anterior and posterior pelvic ring. Operative treatment of pelvic injuries, particularly open reduction and internal fixation is associated with significant surgical risk including deep infection, nerve injuries, and malreduction. In a near side impact collision, pelvic fracture has been described as occurring from direct contact with the intruding door. Further studies have shown that LC-III pelvic fracture occurs on the side opposite the door. This type of pelvic fracture implies contact with some other structure in the vehicle. In several CIREN crash investigations of near-side impacts, evidence was found of hard contact of the pelvis through the belt buckle into the center console.
Crash investigations and laboratory testing have also shown that several factors can result in serious injury to the occupant's chest and abdomen. Specifically, the armrest can act as a punch, intruding into the chest wall causing rib fracture and internal organ injuries. In addition, in many impacts, where a passenger car door is hit high, near its upper border by the front end structures of an SUV or truck, the top of the door tilts inward, accentuating the contact of the door with the occupant's chest. Since the chest is softer than the pelvis, the door and armrest will intrude into the chest before the door contacts the pelvis and starts to accelerate the occupant away.
A need exists in the art to better protect an occupant of an automotive passenger compartment from serious injury resulting from a near side impact collision when the striking vehicle is a truck or sport utility vehicle which impacts the struck vehicle at varying elevated positions and angles. A need exists in the art further to reduce serious pelvic fractures and thoracic injuries to vehicle occupants from near side impact collisions.